Overkill's The Walking Dead development ended by Skybound
Skybound has severed its contract with Starbreeze, the owner of Overkill, and shut down all development efforts for the studio's take on The Walking Dead.
Overkill, the development studio behind the Payday series, had been preparing its take on The Walking Dead series as far back as 2015 and it officially debuted on PC at the end of 2018. A four-player co-op experience set in the Walking Dead universe sounds like a surefire hit on paper, but the execution left players wanting. Thus, Skybound Entertainment has severed ties with Starbreeze Entertainment, the owner of Overkill, and canceled "all efforts" on Overkill's The Walking Dead, which clearly ends PC version support and likely means the console versions are no longer in the cards.
Skybound, the owner of The Walking Dead related licenses, has partnered with a handful of studios for video games set within the zombie-riddled world. Telltale's series is the most notable, but the company has also partnered with Skydance Interactive for the VR game The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners. Here's the official statement from Skybound regarding canceling Overkill's The Walking Dead:
"As of today, we have terminated our contract with Starbreeze Studios and will discontinue all efforts on Overkill's The Walking Dead. Our creators and their stories are the core of Skybound, and since 2014 we have worked hard to expand the world of The Walking Dead into an exceptional Co-op Action FPS. We did our best to work with Starbreeze and resolve many issues that we saw with the game, but ultimately Overkill's The Walking Dead did not meet our standards nor is it the quality that we were promised. We are exceedingly sorry to our fans and share their disappointment in the game. We remain dedicated to providing our fans with the most premium quality content we can offer, and will continue to look for alternative video game options for the IP."
Further, the PC version of the game is to be removed from Steam following a complaint issued by the license holder, GameIndustry.biz reports. "We are deeply sorry for the issues this may cause anyone who has bought the game looking forward to the resolution of Season 2 and are working urgently to attempt to resolve the issue," said acting CEO Mikael Nermark. "Please keep an eye on the official OTWD channels for further news."
We've reached out to Starbreeze for a statement regarding Overkill's The Walking Dead and any plans to offer returns for the game. Stay tuned to Shacknews for additional updates.
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